


Together

by TheCourtSorcerer



Series: Merthur Drabbles & One Shots [7]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Angst, Arthur Knows About Merlin's Magic (Merlin), Arthur Knows The Truth About Ygraine's Death, Caring Merlin (Merlin), Established Relationship, Good morgana, Happy Ending, Hurt Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Hurt/Comfort, I literally cannot not write a happy ending, I need happy endings, Literally just by exisiting, M/M, Merlin Makes Everything Better, TW - Aftermath of verbal fight with parent, TW - Implied/Referenced Emotional Abuse (kind of), Uther Pendragon's A+ Parenting (Merlin), Uther is an Asshole, Vulnerable Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), mentions of parental death, this started out as a vent fic then turned into arthur just wants to be a good king
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-18
Updated: 2021-01-18
Packaged: 2021-03-16 09:01:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,099
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28704072
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheCourtSorcerer/pseuds/TheCourtSorcerer
Summary: Merlin frowned, shaking his head. “You were looking after your people!”“I disrespected him.”“Arthur—"“He cut the meeting short,” Arthur cut him off, breaking eye contact.----Arthur gets into an argument with his father at a council meeting, and Merlin comforts him when harsh words are shot.
Relationships: Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)
Series: Merthur Drabbles & One Shots [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2052750
Comments: 12
Kudos: 272
Collections: merlin fics i read and haven't been the same since





	Together

**Author's Note:**

> Hey! Just wanted to give a quick warning: this fic contains the aftermath of a verbal fight with a parent, speech of what was said in the fight, & grade A asshole Uther. 
> 
> On another note, I am working on so many fics rn alongside my schoolwork, I need to learn what the words "pace yourself" mean lmao 
> 
> _  
> ~~Sorry if at any point any of this seems a bit ooc~~  
>  _

A crash echoed the room as the vase shattered over the wall, the loud sound of gasping, angry breathing filling the air. All he could feel was anger, hate, frustration, _hurt_ , _pain, betrayal, hurt—_

“Arthur?” The cautious voice snapped the prince out of his panicked anger. “Arthur, take a breath, sit down, what’s going on?” Merlin sounded worried, he recognized vaguely, looked worried too from what Arthur could see through hazy, emotion-blurred eyes.

Blinking furiously, Arthur shook his head and walked to his desk where he dropped into his chair gracelessly.

He focused on calming his breathing, as he heard Merlin sweep the shattered vase into one pile before walking to the desk and standing in front of him. He kept his eyes on the wood in front of himself, glaring dangerously at it instead of looking at his concerned servant. His hands were on the desk, clenched so tightly into fists that he could feel his nails dig so hard they threatened to break skin. His jaw was tight, teeth pressed hard together as words replayed in his head, fueling his fury.

“ _Arthur_ ,” he heard Merlin say again, though he still refused to look up.

“ _What_ , Merlin?” He snapped, harsher than he intended to. Merlin didn’t flinch, though, he just sighed and sat in the chair he must’ve pulled up while Arthur tried to melt the desk with his eyes.

There was a moment of silence before Merlin finally spoke again, his voice so soft, softer than Arthur ever thought possible. “What happened? _Talk to me_ …”

In future, Arthur would vehemently deny the choked sob he let out at his lover’s words, at his caring tone. It was all too much. He was just so _angry_ , so _hurt_. He felt he should be used to it all, but _gods_ he wasn’t! He still hated it, it still hurt, and it still got to him more than he felt it should. It was just _words_ ; they shouldn’t make him react like _this_. Nevertheless, he couldn’t hold back the hot tears anymore, and they slipped down his face from the traitors he called his eyes. He slammed a fist on his desk, gasping out a strangled, “ _Dammit!”_ before running his hands through his hair as he desperately tried to compose himself.

He knew Merlin was watching, as he stared at the ceiling and took shaky, deep breaths while blinking endlessly to rid himself of the tears. He could feel the sorcerer’s eyes on him, analyzing him, studying him. Once he thought he got himself back in control, he took a final breath and shook his head. “It’s—”

“Don’t you _dare_ say nothing, Arthur,” Merlin cut him off, as if reading his mind. “We said no more lies. So, _no more lies_ … What happened?” There was a pause, as Arthur looked away. Then, carefully, “…Was it your father?”

And, dammit, Arthur cursed himself for the gasp that left his throat as he held back another furious sob. He pressed his nails to his palms again, shutting his eyes tightly against the tears that threatened to spill once more. Damn this, Arthur thought, being human, having emotions. He opened his eyes after a moment, and stared at the wall behind Merlin rather than at him. “It was the _king_ ,” he spat out the word as if it were poison on his tongue. He ignored the way he saw Merlin raise his eyebrow out of the corner of his eye, and answered an unasked question. “We got into a disagreement.”

“What about?” Merlin prompted, leaning forward against the desk, closer to Arthur. The Prince couldn’t stop the humorless laugh that forced it’s way past his lips at the question.

“I… said something, and he wasn’t pleased with it.”

“What do you mean?”

Arthur looked down to where Merlin had reached over and taken his hand, carefully lacing their fingers in what the warlock must’ve thought was a sneaky way to keep the prince from harming himself further in his anger. Anger which was melting finally into the pain that hid behind it.

Arthur took a deep breath before _finally_ looking up to meet his lover’s eyes. “My meeting, this morning with the council. I spoke out of turn. I want my people to live happy, healthy lives… My father wants control, and lawful obedience. Winter is coming, I suggested we send some of our extra food stock to the villages bordering Camelot. They need it, we have enough. I think we should support our smaller villages as we do our lower town. My fathe—the _king_ disagrees. The King believes it would be a waste of our resources. Believes they can fend for themselves. The council agreed with me, said it would be unreasonable to allow our people to starve when we had the ability to help them. The King felt I humiliated him, questioned his power, challenged his authority.”

Merlin frowned, shaking his head. “You were looking after your people!”

“I disrespected him.”

“Arthur—"

“He cut the meeting short,” Arthur cut him off, breaking eye contact. “Sent everyone out. Told me just how much he cared for my speaking out against his word in front of his men. Told me just how careless I am for suggesting to send our stock out to villages that are ‘barely our concern.’ How foolish I am. They can care for themselves, he said, they’ve done it for years, he said. I told him it was ridiculous to let our people starve through the winter when we have the rations to provide to prevent it. He took my words as a direct insult, to him, and to how he rules.” Arthur paused, taking a deep breath.

“He told me to mind my tongue, I told him to protect our people, and when he said they were hardly our people, I told him to be a better king—for they are all our people, they are inside the borders of our kingdom.” Arthur watched as Merlin’s eyes widened, visibly surprised. He understood why he was shocked; it wasn’t often Arthur spoke against his father or the way he ruled. No, that was Morgana who did that… “The King asked if I was ‘daring to speak such treason to his face,’ and all I could say was that I wouldn’t have to if he actually gave a shit about the people. He told me the only reason he didn’t disinherit me there and then was because I was his only heir. Threatened to have me shackled and sent to the dungeons for my ‘insolence’. I… Should have stopped speaking then, but I was so furious with the way he wrote off our citizens…”

Merlin let out a breath, eyes swimming with badly concealed anger and worry. “What did you say?”

“I—told him that it’s… No wonder his kingdom fears him, if he would even think of treating his only son in such a way for nothing more than caring for his people. I asked him what,” he paused, sighing, “I asked him what my mother would think if she were around to see him like this, disregarding the safety of the people, threatening his son, ruling with fear. He didn’t like that.”

Arthur glanced at Merlin when he gasped, and grinned joylessly at the raven. “I don’t think I’ve seen him so furious, Merlin. Called me just about every name in the book, said I didn’t know what I was talking about, shouted and knocked over chairs. He was livid. Ordered me out of his sight. So, I left, I knew I went too far, and just as the doors slammed behind me I hear him, must’ve thought I wouldn’t hear, or perhaps he didn’t care anymore.”

“…What did he say?” Merlin sounded hesitant, as if he almost didn’t want to know, and Arthur let out a choked laugh, the pain in his voice evident as he repeated his father’s words,

“ _If you weren’t here, Ygraine still would be.”_ Arthur closed his eyes tightly, before adding, “And he’s right. She died so I could live, and he blames me. Not as much as he blames magic—but he still blames me.”

He felt Merlin grip his hand tightly, practically felt the magic rolling off of him in anger. “He has no right,” the warlock bit out, hate in his voice, “He has no _right_ to say that! To even think that! _Arthur_! It is _not_ your fault! It’s _his_. He _knew_ to make a life one must be sacrificed—he knew that! And he still did it. It is his fault, not magic’s, not yours. His. Uther’s. Don’t you dare blame yourself, you had no control in this, you were hardly even an infant!”

Arthur just huffed softly, looking away. “That doesn’t change the fact he’ll only ever see me as an heir, the heir who killed his wife.”

“ _Okay_ , that is enough of that talk.” Merlin suddenly stood up, letting go of Arthur’s hand, and walked around the desk. He turned Arthur’s chair to the side, standing in front of it now. “Fuck what he thinks. You are going to be one hundred times the King he ever could be. You actually care about the kingdom; this whole situation just proves that. Fuck Uther, his opinion doesn’t matter. He said it himself, you’re his only heir, he can’t just decide to not let you be King when time comes. Your mother would be beyond proud of you, and you were right, I didn’t know her but I doubt she’d ever approve of Uther’s actions. What he thinks means nothing, he’s a delusional old man with a revenge problem. You’re already more of a King than he.”

Arthur felt his lips twitch upward before he schooled his expression into a scowl. “ _Treason_ , Merlin,” he teased, silently amazed at how he was already starting to feel better. Merlin always made it better… He didn’t know how, but even just his presence, even just ranting to him, made him feel better…

“It’s true, though!” Merlin insisted, sitting on the Prince’s lap gently before wrapping his arms around his neck, “I don’t say it often—don’t want you to get a bigger head than you already have—but really, you’re twice the man your father is, and you’re one hundred times the King he is, and you’re not even King yet in the eyes of the lands.”

“In the eyes of the lands? What eyes am I King in?” Arthur raised an eyebrow, wrapping his arms loosely around Merlin’s waist.

“Mine, you prat,” the sorcerer rolled his eyes, “you always have been, and you always will be, my king—fy brenin. No matter what your father thinks of you. His opinion is pointless, it is yours that matters. What do _you_ think of yourself?”

Arthur hummed, thinking for a moment. What did he think of himself?? “I think I am incredibly gorgeous, and unreasonably lucky to have a man like you at my side.” His answer got a small laugh from Merlin, who shook his head and dropped a kiss to his Prince’s lips.

“No, really, Arthur,” he pushed.

“It’s true! Especially the lucky part.” At Merlin’s eye roll, Arthur sighed, “Oh, alright. I think that… I am a leader, the best swordsman in Camelot, and a man who wants nothing but the best for his people. I think I will be a great king, despite my father’s belief.”

Merlin grinned and pressed their foreheads together. “That’s more like it. See, those are all true. Especially the lucky part. Suffer through the rest of his reign, and you’ll be the greatest king these lands, these people have ever seen.”

“No,” Arthur frowned, shaking his head slightly, earning a confused look from the other, prompting him to elaborate, “No, _Mer_ lin. _We’ll_ be the greatest _Kings_ these lands have ever seen.”

His heart warmed at the way the messy haired servant in his lap absolutely lit up at the words. The promise. “Yes. Yes, we will. We’ll have Uther rolling in his grave!”

Arthur let out a real laugh this time. Merlin had sounded so delighted when he said it, Arthur couldn’t hold it back.

“One day,” he swore, after collecting himself, “One day, Merlin. We’ll make this place the Kingdom of our dreams. Together.”

He leaned forward and closed the gap between them, pressing his lips gently to Merlin’s, as if sealing the oath with a kiss. Merlin pulled him closer, kissing back without hesitance, and when they pulled back to look at each other, the Warlock just grinned.

“ _Together._ ”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! I hope you have a wonderful evening/day/morning/afternoon/week, and to anyone who needs to hear it, you're fucking fantastic and deserve so much happiness and appreciation.


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